The UEFA Football Board held its inaugural meeting at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, reflecting on a range of topics including the Laws of the Game and refereeing issues such as the intervention line, VAR, handball and player behavior.
In an engaging and constructive discussion, the Board expressed great satisfaction with the current level of refereeing in European club competitions, especially the UEFA Champions League, and suggested that the same uniform approach to refereeing should be applied in domestic competitions across Europe.
With regard to the Laws of the Game, which stipulate that not every touch of the ball by a player’s hand/arm is an offence, the Board has issued the following recommendations for the coming season to better comply with the Laws with the nature of the game:
• In its guidelines for the coming season, the Board recommends that UEFA clarify that no handling offense should be applied to a player if the ball has previously been deflected from his own body and, in particular, when the ball does not lead to beacon direction.
• In the same warning, the Board recommends that not every time the ball touches the hand should automatically lead to a warning after each shot on goal, as foreseen by the current guidelines.
• The Board encourages referees to be more decisive in cautioning players who exhibit unsportsmanlike behaviour, especially when attempting to mislead the referee by pretending to be injured or fouled.
• UEFA is to launch an initiative with the IFAB to amend Law 12, which provides that a player must be sent off for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity for a handling offence. The Board considers that players should be expelled only if they deliberately and intentionally touch the ball with their hand/arm. In the case of other handball offences, players should only be cautioned.
Board members also received an update on the international fixtures calendar and post-2024 competition reforms.
The inaugural meeting was attended by Eric Abidal, Rafael Benítez, Fabio Capello, Petr Čech, Luís Figo, Robbie Keane, Jürgen Klinsmann, Ronald Koeman, Philipp Lahm, Michael Laudrup, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Martínez, Juan Mata, Predrag Mijatović, Gareth Southgate, Patrick Vieira, Rudi Völler, Javier Zanetti and Zinedine Zidane.
Other advisers who were unable to attend the meeting were also consulted and gave their opinion on the topics within the scope of this project.
The composition of the UEFA Football Board is available aqui.
Zvonimir Boban:
“Bringing together so many prodigious football-related individuals has proven to be not only desirable but necessary. It has been a real honor to be part of such an open and genuine debate, and I believe we have found reasonable solutions to overcome some obstacles that negatively affect what happens on the pitch. It may seem banal, but mistakes happen, and we shouldn’t stigmatize them influenced by the shirt we wear.The handball rule, for example, will always be contested, but we can make it more consistent and in line with the true nature of the game. “
Paul Maldini:
“The UEFA Football Board is an excellent initiative by UEFA, ensuring that the voice of those who are or have been on the field is heard by the governing bodies. It was great to see so many familiar faces, with considerable experience, gathered in one place, openly discussing the most pressing issues. criticism of football. Most of us were opponents on the field, but now we are here together to help and protect what we hold most precious – the game itself. I am looking forward to our next meeting.”
Rudi Voeller:
“Discussing the game and specific regulations with so many important football figures was exciting. I really enjoyed it. Most of us don’t play anymore, and several have been very successful in other roles, so each of us brings a unique experience to the debate. In short, It was a great start.”
Patrick Vieira:
“I’m actually really excited to be here. There were a lot of ideas at the meeting, a lot of experience and, if all goes well, out of these debates can come some really good solutions. We’re from different countries and different backgrounds, but we all share a universal passion, the love of football and the will to protect this beautiful sport.”
Note to the media:
Photo gallery here.
Video available here.
2023-04-25 07:00:00
#UEFA #Football #Board #calls #clarity #handball #rule #UEFA
